Source: Gaza war will resume once releases completed; Palestinian prisoners convicted of murder won’t be freed

An Israeli government source says Israel has insisted on certain conditions in the developing hostage deal with Hamas, including that no Palestinian prisoners convicted of murder will be released in the agreement.

Immediately after the phases of the hostage releases are completed, the source says, Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza will resume.

According to the developing deal, Hamas will release at least 50 Israeli hostages, mainly women and children, in exchange for a ceasefire of four days, the release of between 150 and 300 Palestinian prisoners, and the entry of fuel and other goods into Gaza.

Some 12-13 hostages will be released per day as the ceasefire takes effect, the source says, adding that Israel will release women and minor prisoners, with each returning to the city or town where they lived prior to imprisonment, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israel will receive a list of the names of those to be released a day before their release.

The source says the deal will also include a second stage to the agreement by which Hamas will act to locate women and children held by other terror factions in Gaza ahead of their possible release.

Israel believes Hamas may prove able to locate and release up to 30 further Israeli women and children.

The halt in the fighting could be extended for additional days in exchange for 10 further releases per extra day, the source says.

The source says the deal has nothing to do with hostages who are not Israelis, and that other governments may be working on separate deals.

If, as expected ,the deal is approved by the full cabinet tonight, Israel will subsequently publish the details of Palestinian prisoners to be freed, the source says; the public will have 24 hours by law to petition against any of these planned prisoner releases.

According to the source, Israel’s security establishment is in favor of the imminent agreement.

The source also says fuel that will enter Gaza as part of the deal will only be brought in during the ceasefire.

While there will be six hours a day when the IDF will not use drones to gather intelligence on activity in the Strip, the IDF and Shin Bet will maintain the ability to continue gathering intelligence even during the pause in fighting, the source says.

Furthermore, Israel will not allow Gazans who evacuated southward to return to the northern part of the enclave where the IDF is operating.

Hamas has said it has 210 of the about 240 hostages taken from Israel during the October 7 atrocities. Islamic Jihad is said to be holding many of the remaining hostages.